Game apparatus having reversible goal means



R. J. PFUND 3,423,090

GAME APPARATUS HAVING, REVERSIBLE GOAL MEANS- Jan. 21, 1969 Sheet Filed Sept. 7, 1965 mom- 0 INVENTOR. Robert J. Pfund Jan. 21, 1969 R. J. PFUND GAME APPARATUS HAVING REVERSIBLE GOAL MEANS Filed Sept. 7, 1965 Sheet FQRQQK EFQQMEW NNW R. J PFUND 3,423,090

GAME APPARATUS HAVING REVERSIBLE GOAL MEANS Jan. 21, 1969 Filed Sept.

Sheet 3 of 5 ALL-AMERICAN FOOTBALL GAME INVENTOR. Robert J. Pfund zw-jdm United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game board having on its face a football field. Along the sides of the field are grooves with slidable markers. One marker has a pointer to indicate where the ball is located and the other has two pointers spanning a ten yard increment on the field. At each end of the field there is a goal structure. Each structure consists of a rectangular base and a pair of goal posts attached adjacent one latefral edge of the base so that by turning the base 180 the goal posts can be made to lie on the yard line or deep in the end zone. Also attached to the board is a scoreboard with slidable markers movable in grooves.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and more particularly to a game involving a combination of skill and luck in the playing thereof so as to interest both the skilled and the unskilled player.

Briefly, the game of the invention is patterned after one of the popular sports of the day with the rules of the game herein closely following the official rules of the sport, insofar as possible, so that the game disclosed herein is educational as well as affording an opportunity for entertainment and the application of skill.

In this arrangement of the invention, the game apparatus is based upon the sport of football, although it will be obvious as this description proceeds that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, it will be seen that the principles of the novel gaming apparatus disclosed herein can be adapted for other sports involving the playing of opposing teams, as taught by the invention.

These and other objects, features. and advantages of the invention, together with structural details thereof will-be elaborated upon during the forthcoming description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FlGURE 1 is a top plan view of the playing field and score board of a game apparatus arranged in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a chart showing card values for the various plays encountered in the use of the game apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of a partially opened game board containing the aforementioned chart playing field and score board;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional, partially exploded, view of the score board structure, taken along reference line IVIV of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the playing field structure taken along reference line VV of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail and particularly to FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 thereof, the exemplary form of the invention disclosed therein comprises a playing field structure laid out more or less in the configuration of a football field. The playing field in this example is provided with a number of ten-yard markers 12 as in the case of a conventional playing field, and in addition two pairs of goal markers or zero yard markers 14. In addition, end zone areas 16 of an equivalent five yards depth are furnished at each end of the playing field of the game apparatus.

As better shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, a movable goal post marker 18 is placed on each end zone 16. The goal post marker 18 includes a platform 20 and goal uprights "ice and cross piece 22 and 24 mounted along one lateral edge 26 of the platform 20. With this arrangement, the movable goal marker 18 can be disposed on the end zone area 16 such that the uprights of goal post 22, 24 are disposed deep in the end zone 16 for playing in accordance with college rules, or the goal marker 18 can be reversed such that the goal posts 22 are placed on the goal or zero yard line when it is desired to play in accordance with professional rules. Desirably, the platform 20 is provided with the same surface configuration and coloring as that of the end zone areas 16 so that the presence of the platform 20 upon the end zone area 16 is not readily apparent.

In addition to ten-yard lines 28 and the goal lines 30, normally provided on a conventional football field, the gaming field 10 of the invention includes additional fiveyard lines 32 alternating with the aforementioned tenyard lines and also one-yard indexing mark 34 to facilitate computing advances and losses in accordance with the operating rules and charts and 102 associated as described hereinafter with the gaming apparatus of the invention.

Along each lateral edge, designated by a longitudinal line 36 or 38, of the playing field 10, a longitudinally extending groove 40 or 42 respectively is formed. The longitudinal grooves 40 and 42 extend the length of the playing surface of the field 10 and in addition run a short distance along the lateral edges of each end zone 16, as denoted by reference characters 44.

As better shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, a football marker or indicator 46 having a lower tongue portion 48 is thereby adapted for insertion of its tongue portion into the groove 40 and for longitudinal sliding movement therealong. The football marker 46 is provided with a pointer or indicator 50 which cooperates with the yard lines and indexing marks 28, 32 and 34 to determine the position of the football marker with relation to the playing field 10. In order to facilitate movement of the football marker 46 in the groove 40, the upper surface of the marker 46 is provided with a finger well 52, which, for purposes of realism, desirably is contoured and colored in the form of a football.

Mounted for longitudinal movement in the other of the longitudinal field grooves 42 is a football progress marker means or first-and-ten yard marker 54, having a pair of pointers or indicators 56. The pointers 56, in this example, are spaced to bracket a "space on the playing field 10 equivalent to a ten-yard interval thereof. To facilitate placing the yard marker 54, a pair of transverse lines or markers 58 are drawn transversely thereacross, in alignment with the pointers 56 and thereby alignable with a pair of the yard indexing marks 34, or the five or ten-yard lines 32 or 28 of the playing field 10, when the first-and-ten yard marker 54 is properly placed at selected positions along the length of the playing field 10. The tenyard marker 54 further is provided with a tongue portion 60 and finger well 62 of either circular or elliptical configuration for the purposes noted above in connection with the football marker 46. Desirably, the tongue portions 48 and 60 of the football marker 46 and ten-yard marker 54, respectively, are of the same width and depth, as are the width and depth of the longitudinal grooves 40 and 42, so that the ten-yard marker 54 and the football marker 46 are interchangeable as when the players exchange goals after each quarter. The aforementioned groove portions 44 extend a sufiicient distance beyond the adjacent goal line to accommodate the tongue portions 48 or 60 when the football pointer 50 or one of the ten-yard pointers 56 is on either goal line 30.

With the arrangement of the game apparatus thus far described, it will be apparent that the football marker 46 can be moved any number of yards back and forth along the playing field 10 and that the progress thereof in ten-yard increments can be noted and recorded, for the purpose of keeping track of the number of downs, first downs, loss and recovery of the football, scores made, etc., as in the conventional football game. The types of plays made, gains and losses, and certain aspects of scoring, however, are determined by the use of conventional playing cards and the previously noted yardage charts 100 and 102, all of which are described more fully below.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the structure and operation of the score board 64 will now be described. The score board 64 is divided into home and visitor sections 66 and 68, respectively, each of which are provided with tens and units scoring columns 70 and 42. In the central portion of the score board 64, are the quarters and downs recording sections 74 and 76, respectively. Disposed between the vertical columns of quarter and down integers 74a and 76a are a pair of paralleled grooves 78 and 80, in which are cooperatively inserted a pair of pointer members 82 and 84. Each of the pointers 82 and 84 is provided with an index 86, a tongue portion 88, and a finger Well 90, for the general purposes described heretofore in connection with the markers 46 and 54. The pointers 82 and 84 therefore are mounted for longitudinally sliding movement along the grooves 78 and 80, respectively, and are disposed oppositely therein so that their indices cooperate with the vertical columns of integers 74a and 76a, respectively, to indicate the current quarter and down during play of the game apparatus.

Each of the home and visitor portions 66 and 68 of the score board 64 is likewise provided with a pair of parallel longitudinal grooves or slots 92 extending between and parallel with the number columns 70 and 72. A pair of the pointer members 94 are inserted, respectively, in each pair of grooves 92. The last-mentioned pointer members 94 are similar in construction to the pointer member 82 or 84 and, therefore, are similarly retained in and moved along the grooves 92. Each pair of the pointer members 94 are mounted in opposed fashion in the grooves 92 and cooperate respectively with the number columns 70 and 72 for score recording purposes. The longitudinal groove 92 adjacent the tens column 70 extends upwardly beyond the column in order to accommodate the associated pointer member 94 when scores of only zero to 9 are involved.

As pointed out previously, the game apparatus of the invention is played by means of a deck of conventional playing cards 96, the unplayed portion of which can be played face down upon the upper right hand corner of the game board 98. For convenience, the stack of unplayed cards 96 can be designated action cards. As the cards are played, they are placed face down to form a second stack of cards 96' disposed in the other upper corner of the board 98. The latter stack of cards can be designated dead cards.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the manner in which the game apparatus of the invention is played will now be described with greater detail. In the use of the cards 96, the jokers, if any, are discarded so that the deck numbers 52 cards. In this arrangement of the invention, the four suits of the conventional cards 96 have no significance, so that only the sequential values of the numbered and face cards determine the various plays of the football game. Thus, a given line play of the game theoretically could be repeated with identical gain or loss a total of four times. In FIGURE 2, the values of the 13 sequentially different cards (for purpose of this game) in the deck 96 for the various kick and pass plays are shown in chart 100. These plays are charted for both offense and defense actions by the players, and the initial column of the chart 100 also determines possession of the football in the case of a fumble.

For example, if the defense player at kick-off draws one of the four deuces (2) in he d 96 at the beginning of play, the ball is advanced from the 40-yard line where it is placed upon kick-otf to the offenses lO-yard line. The football indicator 46 is then moved to the aforesaid 10- yard line. The offense player then draws a card from the top of deck 96, and refers to kick-off return column (2) to see how many yards he was advanced or returned the ball. If the offense player draws a 6, he would return or advance the football indicator 46 a distance of 12 yards, and initial selection of plays would commence from the 22 yard line. The first and ten marker 54, would then bracket from the oifenses 22 to 32 yard space.

The offense then has four downs in which to move the football marker 46, at least ten yards, as denoted by the ten-yard marker 54, in order to achieve a first (down) and ten. The offense can select a variety of differing types of plays as denoted by the heading of the various columns in chart 102 or he can elect to pass as denoted in chart 100. He must, however, advance the football marker 46 at least a total of ten yards in four downs in order to retain possession of the ball. The yardage gained or loss on the play selected is determined by the values listed for the various cards of the deck 96 in the charts or 102. The player having possession of the ball (marker 46) announces the play selected and then draws a card from the deck 96 to determine the results of the selected play. The

card drawn is then played face down on the dead card stack 96', and constitutes a single down of the football game. Such player (offense) continues to draw cards from the stack 96 in this manner until he either scores a touchdown by moving the football marker 46 to the goal line or until he loses possession of the ball.

Possession of the ball is lost by failing to advance ten yards in 4 downs, through interception of an attempted pass, or by a lost fumble (chart 100). If a player draws a card which denotes a fumble for the preselected play of chart 102, he then draws a second card to determine wether the fumble is lost or recovered, as denoted in chart 100.

As in conventional or live football, it is usually advisable to punt if the player is some distance from the goal line on a fourth down. This is accomplished by drawing a card in the manner described above and referring to the chart 100 for the distance of the punt (which is blocked if a card numbered 10 is drawn). The other player then draws a card to determine whether and how far the punt is returned from the appropriate cloumn in chart 100. Possession of the ball passes to such player who then proceeds with plays by drawing cards in the manner described above until he in turn either scores or loses possession of the ball.

Of the remaining columns of chart 100, the field goal column determines whether a field goal is made, if the player elects an attempt when he is at or within 35 yards of the goal line. The extra point column determines whether .a point after touchdown is made by a player so scoring.

To start the game, each player will cut the deck of cards 96, with the player drawing the highest card having the choice of receiving or kicking off. All cards are then returned to the deck 96 and the defense player will then shuffie the cards. The defense player turns over the first card to kick-off or start the game. For an example, an ace is drawn; from the kick-off column (chart 100), it will be seen that the ball is kicked 70 yards, giving, in this case, the offense an option of drawing for kick-off return (chart 100) or placing the football marker 46 on his 20- yard line, and drawing for the first down play (chart 100 or 102). The offense player then becomes the quarterback, as it were, and selects his line and aerial plays from appropriate columns of charts 100 and 102. The unused cards remain in the action deck 96 While the used cards are placed in the dead deck 96'. When 52 cards have been drawn by the players, the quarter is terminated, with 4 quarters constituting the completed game. Playing rules for the game are set forth below:

RULES FOR CARD-FOOTBALL (1) Player who has scored must kickoff to opponent from his 40-yard line.

(2) Offense player has 4 downs or turns to make 10 yards and a first down.

(3) On offense fumbles, player must turn card and refer to fumble column to see who has recovered ball. If offense recovers, play continues from point of ball or line of scrimmage, with loss of down. If defense player recovers (lost), he takes over the ball at point of fumble. In 4th down situations, offense player must turn card on fumble even though first down was not made.

(4) Upon interception of passes, with offense player having the ball, defense player takes over the ball and advances whatever number of yards designated in pass column. (=Ex. if offense has ball on his own 49-yard line and he decides to pass. A queen comes up. Defense player then takes over ball and returns 47 yards to the two-yard line.) Runbacks on all interceptions start from the line of scrimmage.

(5) Check column on punting as to distance. Remember, other player must turn over card to see how far he returns the ball (punt ret.). Also, note that a card designates a blocked-punt. Offense player who has atte-mpted to punt, loses 8 yards from line of scrimmage, and possession of the ball. If ball is punted to or over other players goal line, ball is placed on 20-yard line. Play starts from there.

(6) Extra point or points are attempted after all scoring of touchdowns, Refer to extra point column for one point try. If you try for two points, you must go at least two yards on first attempt. If any quarter ends with a touchdown, and no action cards are left in the pack, the defensive player or player who has been scored upon must then shufile all the 52 dead cards and permit offense player who has scored the touchdown to select a card and try for the extra point.

(7) Offense can attempt field goals only from 35 yards or less away from defense goal line. Refer to field goal column to see if kick is successful. If attempt is blocked, defense player takes over the ball with an advance of 1-0 yards from previous line of scrimmage. If field goal attempt is No, other player takes over on his own 20- yard line.

(8) At the end of the half or two quarters, position of ball ends. Third quarter is started exactly like beginning of game. Player, who received the kickoff to start the game, must now kick ball to start the third quarter.

(9) Each player is allowed 2 timeouts of one minute each for every half of play. This is permitted to allow time for trying to remember cards that have been played.

(10) Used cards after drawing must be turned face down and cannot be looked at again by either player during a single quarter.

(11) Under kickoff column, if an ace is turned over by the kicking team, 70-yard option means that the offense player has the option of returning the kickoff (kickoff return) from 10 yards deep in his own end zone, or or not attempting a kickoff return and would then put the ball in play from offenses own 20-yard line.

(12) Defensive player has the privilege of shuffling cards (action pack) at the beginning of each quarter.

SCORING If offense has the ball, and it is on the defense 13-yard line, he can score a touchdown if he receives at least a 3-yard gain on his selection. Offense must go to the goal line to score, not over. 7

A safety occurs when offense player is pushed back to or beoynd his own goal line. This offense player must then kickoff from his own 20-yard line. Player who has scored the "2 points will receive the ball.

Bonus touchdown is awarded for drawing 2 consecutive aces followed by any picture card in a series of 4 downs only.

I SCOREBOARD OPERATION One player chooses to be the Home team'. The other player would then be the Visiting team. Use the scoring marker 'on right column (0 to 9) for scoring up to 9 points. For scoring over 9 points, simply use both scoring markers to achieve the correct score.

GOAL POSTS The two goal posts are removable. To designate that the game will be played under professional rules, simply put the goal posts on the goal line. (One Pt. conversion only). If the game is to be played under college rules, put the goal posts on the rear of the end zones. (One Pt. or two'Pt. conversion.) Refer to Rule 6.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a novel and efiicient game apparatus has been disclosed herein. The descriptive and illustrative materials herein have been presented for purposes of exemplifying the invention and not in limitation thereof. Accordingly, numerous modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, it is to be understood that certain features of the invention can be utilized without a corresponding use of other features thereof.

I claim:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a playing board having a playing area laid out thereon in a shape of a playing field of a conventional sport, groove means in said board adjacent a side of said playing area, an indicator manipulatable along said groove means to indicate the position of a ball in play as in said sport, second groove means in said board and positioned adjacent another side of said playing area, marker m'eans manipulatable in said second groove means for indicating the progress of said ball indicator, said board having a scoreboard formed integrally thereon and including a plurality of numbered columns, groove and movable indicator means disposed therein adja-cent each of said columns, some of said columns and associated indicator means cooperating for indicating the progress of said game, and others of said columns and associated indicator means indicating respectively the scores of opposing players, and a movable goal post and platform assembly for each end of said playing area, each of said platforms having its goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of the platform in its plane will place the goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area,

2. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a board having a playing area thereon shaped to conform generally to a conventional football field, said playing area being sealed in one-yard increments along the length thereof and at each lateral edge thereof, a pair of generally parallel grooves formed in said board and extending substantially along the length of said playing field, said grooves being disposed adjacent said lateral edges respectively, a football marker slidably mounted in one of said grooves for movement therein longitudinally along said playing area and having a pointer for cooperating with the adjacent lateral scale to determine the position of said ball on said area, and a first-and-ten marker slidably mounted in the other of said grooves for longitudinal movement therein along said playing field, said last-mentioned marker having a pair of spaced pointers extending in cooperation with the other of said lateral scales and bracketing ten of said increments thereof, a movable goal post and platform assembly for each end of said playing area, each of said platforms having its goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of the platform in its plane will place the goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a board having a playing area laid out thereon generally in the shape of a foot-ball field, said playing area being divided into one-yard increments along the length thereof, groove means formed in said board and extending substantially along the length of said playing area, and football and first-and-ten markers slidably mounted in said groove means for movement along, said firstand-ten marker being shaped to bracket ten of said increments, scoring means mounted on said board and divided into similar scoring sections for the players of said game apparatus and into quarter and down recording sections each having scoring and recording columns of appropriate numbers, a plurality of grooves formed in said board at positions respectively adjacent said columns, an indicator member slidably mounted in each of said grooves and movable therealong to cooperate with said columns to indicate players scores and the current quarter and down of the game, and a movable goal post and platform assembly for each end of said playing area, each of said platforms having its goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of the platform in its plane will place the goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area.

4, In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a board having a playing area laid out thereon generally in the shape of a football field, said playing area being divided into at least ten-yard increments along the length thereof, groove means formed in said board and extending substantially along the length of said playing field, football and first-and-ten markers slidably mounted in said groove means for movement therealong, said first-and-ten marker being shaped to bracket tenyard increments of said playing area, and a movable goal post and platform assembly for each end of said playing area, each of said platforms having its goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of the platform in its plane will place the goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area 5. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a playing board having a playing area laid out thereon in a shape of a playing held of a conventional sport, groove means in said board extending the length of said playing area, a first indicator manipulatable along said groove means to indicate the position of a ball in play as in said sport, a second indicator manipulatable in said groove means for indicating the progress of said ball indicator, said board having means for supporting a deck of conventional playing cards, and charted indicia means secured to said playing board for relating the values of said playing cards to particular plays and moves in the progress of said game as in said sport, and a movable goal post and platform assembly for each end of said playing area, each of said platforms having its goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of the platform in its plane will place the goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising a board having a playing area laid out thereon generally in the shape of a football field, said playing area being divided into at least ten-yard increments along the length thereof, groove means 'formed in said board and extending substantially along the length of said playing field, football and first-and-ten markers slidably mounted in said groove means for movement therealong, said firstand-ten marker being shaped to bracket ten-yard increments of said playing area, and movable goal post and support means for each end of said playing area, each of said support means including means for mounting said goal post substantially closer to one lateral edge thereof than to the other lateral edge so that a half revolution of said support means will place the associated goal posts either on the goal line or deep in the end zone of said playing area.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 159,315 7/ 1950 Beach 27394 XR 1,468,143 9/1923 Eldridge 116-135 XR 2,784,970 3/1957 Heiner 273-94 3,043,594 7/1962 Seitz 273-94 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 273-94 

